Exploring the male friendships and masculinities of young men who identify as ‘light’ drinkers

Background: Alcohol can play a role in facilitating temporary emotional intimacy and bonding among men. Heavy alcohol consumption is also commonly associated with traditional views of masculinity and can therefore be a salient feature in male friendship spaces. However, men are more likely than women to consume alcohol at harmful levels and consequently experience significant rates of alcohol-related harm. It is therefore imperative to explore how men experience male friendships and develop masculine identities in ways which do not increase health risks. This research sought to explore the friendship experiences of men who identify as ‘light’ drinkers and the ways they form social connections with other men. Aims/Objectives: This research aims to explore how young men who identify as ‘light’ drinkers experience friendships with other men and develop masculine identities. Design/Methods: A diverse sample of young men (18-34 years) is being recruited from social spaces and online communities. Focus groups have been conducted with established male friendship groups followed by subsequent semi-structured interviews with the ‘light’ drinkers in each group. This research has been conducted from a social constructionist standpoint, and data are analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings from the current sample are presented. Preliminary Findings: Light drinkers faced pressure to ‘meet the vibe’ of heavier drinkers to maintain social connection, however light drinking and non-drinking were reframed by some men as a masculine choice. Shared leisure activities enabled light drinkers to participate in male friendship groups without alcohol, but these activities did not necessarily facilitate emotional intimacy and many light drinkers sought this from the women in their lives. Finally, many men desired open and emotionally intimate male friendships and discussed navigating conflicting lingering traditional masculine perspectives. Conclusion: This research represents the first in-depth qualitative study exploring the friendship experiences of ‘light’ drinking young men in Scotland and the ways in which they construct masculine identities within male friendships. These findings are useful to health policies/interventions and third sector organisations seeking to reduce drinking and social isolation among men. They highlight social barriers associated with reduced drinking, but also ways in which men navigate these while maintaining male friendships. <br/

Performing solidarity? A scoping review of alcohol marketing to sexual and gender minorities

Background: Harmful alcohol use is more prevalent among sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) than their cisgender/heterosexual counterparts. The reasons for this are complex, incorporating alcohol’s normalization and availability in social settings, its importance to identity construction, and drinking to cope with stigma and discrimination. However, commercial determinants have been underexplored, particularly how alcohol is marketed to SGM communities.Methods: Scoping review methodology was employed. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, ASSIA, PsycInfo, and PubMed. Grey literature was located through organizational websites. Following screening and data extraction, literature was synthesized thematically.Results: Fourteen articles were included. Findings exposed a complex web of alcohol marketing targeting SGMs on multiple fronts. Traditional advertising media was augmented by the opportunities digital marketing affords. Venue-based marketing on the commercial scene exploited the industry’s domination of community spaces, and the dearth of alcohol-free alternatives. Further, appropriation of SGM iconography, and sponsorship of SGM events, positioned the industry as an ally, forging public-facing personae of solidarity and acceptance.Conclusion: Multifaceted marketing of alcohol saturates SGM communities, entrenching understandings of its ubiquity and importance. Further work is needed to describe and quantify the impact of these strategies on alcohol use within SGM communities

What are LGBTQ+ People’s Experiences of Alcohol Services in Scotland? A Qualitative Study of Service Users and Service Providers

This current qualitative study focused specifically on LGBTQ+ people who had accessed alcohol services or peer support in Scotland to explore their experiences and discover how services could be improved. We also explored the views of service providers to provide a more rounded account

The High Energy Solar Physics mission (HESP): Scientific objectives and technical description

The High Energy Solar Physics mission offers the opportunity for major breakthroughs in the understanding of the fundamental energy release and particle acceleration processes at the core of the solar flare problem. The following subject areas are covered: the scientific objectives of HESP; what we can expect from the HESP observations; the high energy imaging spectrometer (HEISPEC); the HESP spacecraft; and budget and schedule

What are LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of alcohol services in Scotland? A qualitative study of service users and service providers.

This current qualitative study focused specifically on LGBTQ+ people who had accessed alcohol services or peer support in Scotland to explore their experiences and discover how services could be improved. We also explored the views of service providers to provide a more rounded account

The role of alcohol in constructing gender &amp; class identities among young women in the age of social media

Research suggests young women view drinking as a pleasurable aspect of their social lives but that they face challenges in engaging in a traditionally ‘masculine’ behaviour whilst maintaining a desirable ‘femininity’. Social network sites such as Facebook make socialising visible to a wide audience. This paper explores how young people discuss young women’s drinking practices, and how young women construct their identities through alcohol consumption and its display on social media. We conducted 21 friendship-based focus groups (both mixed and single sex) with young adults aged 18–29 years and 13 individual interviews with a subset of focus group respondents centred on their Facebook practices. We recruited a purposive sample in Glasgow, Scotland (UK) which included ‘middle class’ (defined as students and those in professional jobs) and ‘working class’ respondents (employed in manual/service sector jobs), who participated in a range of venues in the night time economy. Young women’s discussions revealed a difficult ‘balancing act’ between demonstrating an ‘up for it’ sexy (but not too sexy) femininity through their drinking and appearance, while still retaining control and respectability. This ‘balancing act’ was particularly precarious for working class women, who appeared to be judged more harshly than middle class women both online and offline. While a gendered double standard around appearance and alcohol consumption is not new, a wider online audience can now observe and comment on how women look and behave. Social structures such as gender and social class remain central to the construction of identity both online and offline

Transformation and time-out: the role of alcohol in identity construction among Scottish women in early midlife

Despite the increase in drinking by women in early midlife, little alcohol research has focused on this group. We explore how alcohol is associated with the construction of gender identities among women aged 30 to 50 years in the west of Scotland, United Kingdom. We draw on qualitative data from 11 focus groups (five all-female, six mixed-sex) with pre-existing groups of friends and work colleagues in which women and men discuss their drinking behaviours. Analysis demonstrated how alcohol represented a time and space away from paid and unpaid work for women in a range of domestic circumstances, allowing them to relax and unwind. While women used alcohol to construct a range of identities, traditional notions of femininity remained salient (e.g. attention to appearance, drinking ‘girly’ drinks). Drinking enabled women to assert their identity beyond the roles and responsibilities often associated with being a woman in early midlife. For example, some respondents with young children described the transformative effects of excessive drinking which allowed them to return temporarily to a younger, carefree version of themselves. Thus, our data suggest that women's drinking in early midlife revolves around notions of ‘idealised’ femininity but simultaneously represents a way of achieving ‘time out’ from traditional female responsibilities such as caring for others. We consider these findings within a broader social and cultural context including alcohol marketing, domestic roles and motherhood and their implications for health promotion

“Availability is the poor cousin of marketing and pricing”: Qualitative study of stakeholders’ views on policy priorities around tobacco and alcohol availability

BackgroundReducing alcohol and tobacco availability is one potential way to reduce harm from these unhealthy commodities. This study explores key stakeholders’ views in relation to policy priorities and considerations for both alcohol and tobacco availability.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 stakeholders from alcohol and/or tobacco third sector organizations, government, public health and licensing in Scotland. Interviews explored their views on alcohol/tobacco availability, including its place in the policy landscape and experiences in gaining support for policies. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsStakeholders believed that alcohol and tobacco availability have not received as much policy attention as pricing and marketing. Stakeholders highlighted the importance of public support and having sufficient evidence to inform policy. Key considerations for future policies include: drawing on lessons from tobacco control policies to address alcohol availability, considering different aspects of availability (especially online availability), ensuring policies reflect their local context, considering the impact of policies on children, and managing retailers’ involvement in the policy process.ConclusionThis study highlights key considerations for policies to address alcohol and tobacco availability. There is a need for more research to consider retailers’ views and provide greater detail on specific policy suggestions